The fairer sex sells

Consider what the following have in common. An ad for Vogue's website with a nipple representing the dot in the web address. An ad for Britvic juice in which a male fairy in a bulging jock-strap is the butt of a joke about "cramming in" 12 oranges. And an ad for Molson beer featuring an elderly man with the line: "Hang out with the guys while you can. Soon they'll be dead and then it's just sex, sex and more bloody sex."

Laddishly humorous each may be, but in fact they represent some of the cream of British advertising created by women, which goes on show in central London this week.

The aim is not just to show how women can be as creative – and as sexist – as men. Nor is the show, Women's Work, a pat on the back. No, the idea is to tackle adland's most embarrassing problem: its lack of women creatives.

For in the exhibition organisers' own words, women creatives remain "a rarity" – accounting for just 17 per cent of UK ad agency creatives. And worse, little has changed in more than a decade: in 1990 the figure was 18 per cent.

Opinions differ on the cause. Some cite the traditional path into advertising, with wannabe creatives expected to work for little or no pay to prove their worth.

According to one young all-female creative team, it's about breaking into a "homogeneous, male, middle-class" fortress: "We're frequently told the longer you are 'out there' trailing around agencies the higher you are regarded, so advertising has turned into survival of the fittest."

Others highlight a pervading macho culture. "As a woman you must conform by becoming as laddish as them, fight extremely hard to stand out, or bail out," one female creative admits.

Adland has been working to improve the creative placements scheme to ensure that young hopefuls are properly paid and not strung along by the unscrupulous. But the fact remains that few female creative role models exist.

Which is where Women's Work comes in. Trouble is, the selection of work poses a fundamental question. The ads are striking, humorous, poignant – just like any of adland's best ads. Aside from the equality issue, then, does the lack of women creatives really matter? Absolutely, say the creatives whose work is in the show.

"If your ads are only written by men you're missing out on the experiences and insights of half the population," says Kate Stanners, vice chair and creative director of the advertising agency St Lukes.

"Women creatives produce very well-observed ads. The shame is how few can balance working as a creative with having children – which allows you to be far more irreverent and fun when creating ads for a family audience."

For Caroline Pay of the advertising agency Mother, the creative team behind Schweppes, women creatives can take more risks. "As women we can say what we like about women. We can push the boundaries further."

Lack of diversity remains a worry for many, though. One source even suggests that more women creatives would counter adland's tendency to sexually stereotype which, in recent months, has seen public complaints triggered by the depiction of gay men in ads for Yahoo and Virgin Direct.

Perhaps. But consider the outcry over the ad for last October's Motor Show featuring a bra-clad woman and the line: "The other way to your man's heart is down the M6 and off at Junction 4." "Pathetic", "out of date" and "sexist" was the Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt's response – despite the fact that the ad was created by... a woman.

Did this illustrate how misunderstood postmodern irony can be? Or did it prove that there is little leeway for women creatives to break with traditional advertising convention? Either way, the role of women – both within and behind the ads we see – remains an issue that certain parts of adland are still struggling to come to terms with.

Women's Work opens on Thursday at the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, 44 Belgrave Square, London SW1 (020-7235 7020). For information, contact tracy@dandad.co.uk